Explosive.

Happy Birthday, America! I salute you. (Thank you, Katie Ger)

I love how on Independence Day (see Maureen's blog) the smell of gunpowder is on the air all day. Gunpowder and BBQ. I love how at night it looks like a thick fog has settled on the city, but it's actually smoke. This has been one of my top Fourth's for certain. The food was excellent, the company was tops, I laughed to the point of tears more than once, the weather was fly, and the fireworks were da' bomb. Two years ago, though, the fireworks beat out by just a hair. I was driving to Blue Springs to pick up a friend (the same day that my car got the permanent dent that is still on my driver's side panel), and there was this spot on the drive down Wood's Chapel Road where I came to the top of the hill and was assaulted on all sides by probably a dozen different fireworks displays. That spot had to be the best kept Fourth secret in the city. I had to pull over. All around me, sparks were shooting up into the air, the cracks and pops were rapid-firing, and the sky was quite literally lit up. My eyes couldn't even take it all in. But while all that was spectacular in every real way, what was more spectacular was that I couldn't help feeling that this was a show set up just for me, or a moment solely for my enjoyment.

God is so good. The past year has been a different type of journey for me. But I'm coming to see just a glimpse of how tender and gentle He has been as He heals me. How long-suffering and patient He is as He waits for me.

Tonight was beautiful. I hope it was for you, too. I think I will leave it at that. Except to say that it's moments like these I'm reminded just how much He delights in my delight. And that's just more than anyone could hope for.